AdidasxParley for the Oceans: an initial pair of shoes

By

Olivier Guyot

Published
Jun 30, 2015

Adidas is getting involved in the protection of the oceans. The German company announced a few weeks ago an agreement with the marine environmental advocacy organization Parley for the Oceans. Now the agreement is bearing results.

The brand has unveiled the first model from the collaboration. The shoes are made using plastic and fishing nets collected from the oceans. Recycled materials are at the core of the shoe’s concept.

Parley and Adidas presented their work as part of a conference held at the UN headquarters in New York entitled "Oceans. Climate. Life."

"At Parley for the Oceans, we want to establish the oceans as a fundamental part of the debate around climate change. Our objective is to boost public awareness and to inspire new collaborations that can contribute to protect and preserve the oceans," explained Cyrill Gutsch, the organization’s founder. "We are extremely proud that Adidas is joining us in this mission and is putting its creative force behind this partnership to show that it is possible to turn ocean plastic into something cool."

The approach is beginning to bear fruit. Having initially collaborated with G-Star, Parley for the Oceans is presenting its first products with Adidas as well as with O'Neill. 

More generally, there are more and more textile recycling initiatives, which also allow for substantial water savings. Beyond some green-washing efforts, awareness in Western markets appears to be ramping up.